South Hampstead High School Sixth Form

[expat]

According to EduBase, SHHS last year had 92 girls in the last year of GCSE and only 54 girls in the first year of sixth form.
http://www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment ... urn=100076" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Given that SHHS claim to admit at least a few students at sixth form, more than 30 girls, or 1/3 of their GCSE students, must be leaving each year for a different sixth form. This appears to be a much larger fraction than at SPGS, NLCS, CLSG, etc.

Does anyone have information about where these 30+ girls are going and why so many are leaving? I'm told that many girls and/or parents seek a coed environment at that age but, again, it seems like other top London girls day schools hang on to far more of their students.

[pheasantchick]

Welcome to the forum.

According to someone I know who's granddaughter is at the school, a few girls go to Westminster school, 'to improve their chances getting into Oxbridge'.

I'm not sure apart from that.

[expat]

Thanks pheasantchick. I'd heard something similar about Westminster but the very vague rumor was ~5 girls a year. I've also heard that more girls have been leaving since UCS started admitting girls for sixth form. It seems a bit odd because SHHS had been getting better results than UCS, but maybe it's the coed thing.

[another mother]

Hi. Last year c30 girls out of 82 left CLSG for pastures new - predominantly in search of boys (sic). a number to Westminster and Highgate, and a large number to UCS - the new and more liberal kid on the block (though not for everyone). Also some to St Marylebone and to Mary Magadalene Academy - which offers the IB. There are ethical and/or financial reasons to want back in the state sector - and MM is on the way up. A few went to board, one to Atlantic College, one to Sevenoaks,again for IB etc..
Co-ed is a huge factor, particularly perhaps for girls who've come up through the prep or been all girls all the way, and the whole thing can be very unsettling in year 11. Central London girls are used to buzzing around and very confident generally and up for a change. This year Highgate will no longer be looking for many girls as this is the first fully coed year so that may make a difference in terms of competition for places. NLCS loses far fewer - partly location I suspect, also because the ethos is different (again you either like that or you don't). More SHHS girls go to westminster each year than from CLSG - which is interesting given it's the hardest to get into (don't think anyone was turned down from UCS or Highgate). I've heard though couldn't verify that SH girls apparently are less keen on UCS! At SHHS 26% of this year's leavers have already got oxbridge offers. Finally those who've stayed at CLSG seem very happy. Hope that helps - pm me if you want more info.

[expat]

AM, thanks again for the information. Please ignore my PM; I misread your second sentence and thought you were writing about SHHS girls rather than CLSG girls. Just wishful thinking on my part.

So it appears that CLSG also loses about a third of its girls at sixth form. EduBase indicates that its 16 year old class is pretty much the same size as its 15 year old class, so they must be admitting ~30 girls at sixth form.

[asha]

According, to the CLSG website, the Leavers' destinations list for 2010 only lists 60 students. So they lose about 40 girls ( or perhaps slightly fewer as I suspect some take a gap year and the list does not make note of that).

[another mother]

None of these lists include the numerous girls taking gap years, so they are never a full picture of the year group. Quite a number use upper sixth as a UCAS try out but take a gap year -either because they always wanted to take a Gap year or because they don't get what they hoped in terms of offers, or they find they've changed their mind about courses, or they perhaps do better than expected so can aim higher. They then reapply with their As in their hands so to speak. The oxbridge quota seems to rise as a result. I'm sure this is the same in most schools.
Won't be the same this year as so many are cancelling gap year plans to try to get in pre tuition fees rise.